About This Book
Epidemiology is the foundational science of infection control. Without a working understanding of study design, measures of frequency, association, and causation, infection preventionists and hospital epidemiologists are navigating complex institutional environments without a map.
This book traces the intellectual history of epidemiological reasoning — from John Snow's cholera investigations in 1854 to the sophisticated outbreak investigation frameworks used in contemporary ICUs — and applies those methods directly to the problem of healthcare-associated infections.
Each study design is explained through its clinical application: cohort studies for identifying HAI risk factors, case-control studies for outbreak investigation, cross-sectional surveillance for endemic infection rates, and quasi-experimental designs for evaluating prevention interventions.
The book bridges the gap between academic epidemiology and the practical demands of infection control in real healthcare settings — a gap that too many textbooks leave unaddressed.
What's Inside
1A History of Epidemiological Thinking in Infection Control
2Measures of Disease Frequency: Incidence, Prevalence, and Rates
3Measures of Association: Risk Ratio, Odds Ratio, and Beyond
4Descriptive Studies: Surveillance and Cross-Sectional Design
5Cohort Studies: Identifying Risk Factors for HAIs
6Case-Control Studies: Outbreak Investigation in Practice
7Quasi-Experimental Designs: Evaluating Prevention Programs
8Confounding, Bias, and Causal Inference in HAI Research
9From Data to Action: Translating Epidemiology into Policy
Who This Book Is For
- Infection preventionists pursuing CIC certification
- Hospital epidemiologists and clinical researchers
- Public health graduate students
- Residents in infectious disease and preventive medicine
- Quality improvement professionals
About the Author
A
Dr. Alberto Saraiva Tiburcio
Dr. Alberto Saraiva Tiburcio is a physician and infectious disease specialist with clinical and academic experience in Brazil and the United States. He is the founder of No Infection Consulting & Education, a public health education platform committed to making evidence-based infectious disease knowledge accessible to both healthcare professionals and the general public. He is the author of multiple books in infection control, epidemiology, and artificial intelligence in medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this book suitable for CIC exam preparation?
Yes. The content aligns closely with the Certification in Infection Control (CIC) exam domains, particularly the epidemiology and statistics components.
Does this require prior statistics training?
Basic familiarity with statistics is helpful but not required. Core statistical concepts are explained as needed within their epidemiological context.
Is this a theoretical or practical book?
Both. Each epidemiological concept is illustrated with real HAI scenarios — outbreaks, surveillance programs, and prevention trials — drawn from the published literature.
